A mom trying to get fit…but LIFE always has it’s own agenda.

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Ever since my half marathon in October its’ been like a 5k run ever two weeks. Larry and I did The Color Run at Nationals Park in DC 2 weeks after running our 13.1, then another 2 weeks later–I attended the Montgomery County “Girls On The Run” 5k with my daughter.

Out of the 3 runs this was the most rewarding as a parent, it was my daughters first 5k and she did her run/walk pace. I was so proud of her to keep motivated in picking goal points along the way of when to start running and walking. I told her about the tag-it lady I met during my 13.1, that we implied it with friends and tagged them as we passed them and slowed down to catch our breaths after tagging them. It was totally so much fun and she’s looking forward to her mommy’s promise. The promise was that after her first 5k, I will register her for “The Color Run” with me the next time I do it.

We did it!! Yes this was the song I started to sing to Larry with one mile left to complete our first half marathon as a couple–it was totally worth the experience together.

You think you start off planning everything accordingly, but with all the excitement of my daughter doing her first Kids Fun Run at the 2014 Baltimore Running Festival this past Saturday. Well, you get carried away with the run arounds and what not. This led to Larry and I being real late to the start line of our half marathon. I wouldn’t be able to tell you how late because for the second time in a row, I fail to wear a watch to a half marathon. We were so late that we couldn’t tell where our start line was that we almost ran the full marathon course, but we figured it out and we were on our way.

As we began–we started off so quick that Larry’s hamstring injury from earlier in the week started to agitate him. To top it off, the first 1.5 miles there were NO spectators, we couldn’t even see cones signaling our way into the course–panic almost set in. It was like a movie scene, as I looked back at Larry, his arms went up…”Go on without me” “My hamstring not going to make it!” I stopped and replied “NO! I”m not leaving you–I told you this!”. Larry: “You run I will hold you back”. Me: “I SAID NO! If we have to walk then so be it!” “We can walk it all the way if needed until officials kick us out–if they have to.” We just need to get to mile 3 where we meet with the full marathon course before they open roads” “Lets just do what you can and take it from there!”

I don’t know how we got through the first 3 miles but I can tell you this we never walked and ran (shuffled, lol) so fast. Luckily Larry’s hamstring was just warming up but still he had issues with it through the run. The few spectators that were left or about to leave with their “Run like Zombies are chasing you” sign, by the 3rd mile mark were awesome. Still cheered us on and even a group had their own unofficial table with snacks for runners. We were about 100ft from meeting with the full marathon course at the 3rd mile when the marathon officials were following slowly behind us with their car because they were getting ready to open the roads behind us. BUT WE MADE IT and we continued the course with the rest of the runners.

From that point on it was quite an experience, I had so much fun running with Larry then alone when I did it the first time 2 years ago. You have someone to talk to, laugh with and fart with LOL (thanks snack station at 7.5 mile (20.5mile-Full) with Salt & Vinegar chips), just saying it happens when you run these things–what can I say. <shrugs> Runners around us would sometimes come up and make comments. One woman came by saying: “Can I ask you a question?” We: “Sure!” Woman: “Why did we sign up for this again?!”. Another runner mentioned: “YOU LIED ABOUT ALL THESE HILLS!”. But really I have to give a shout out to the best two groups of spectators with their unofficial water stations. Around 7th mile (20mile-Full), shout out to the table with wine shots for runners! And a shout out to the 10th mile (23rdmile-Full) with a their unofficial water table of beer shots! They were both refreshing.

While Larry and I were not doing it for time but for completion, I have to say I am so proud of him for training with me and going through with it. It was the best thing we have done together and I can definitely see that we are an awesome team. Here’s to many more runs with him as our next one is The Color Run in DC on November 1st.

So it’s official, our family is becoming a running family. We all have gotten official running shoes to break-in for our planned goals this Fall.

Larry and I have our goal to complete the Baltimore Running Festival half-marathon in October. Now my 9 year old is inspired by us and she’s joined her schools Girl’s On The Run Team and they will Run in November. We are all feeling pretty stylish with our selection/style/color and fit of our shoes, nothing can stop us now.

Gotta love my matching nail polish too 😉

P.s. Our 8 mile run last weekend was awesome! No pains, no muscle cramps because we prepared for the unexpected. The last mile got hard but I pushed through it and considered it an awesome run.

Woke up to a typical morning (finding a reason to not make it to the gym). I check my phone and noticed a alert text from our counties school “2 Hour Delay”. Therefore that meant snow did in fact fall, and like a 7 year old, I jumped out of bed and ran to my window. Sigh our first snow fall (Finally!). Knowing that I didn’t have to rush to get my daughter up for school. There was no reason to skip my gym workout today, and I made it!

After my workout, as I drove home and observed the paranoid drivers in this weather. I thought to myself…yea I can see how some people say “The DMV panics with a bit of snow fall”. Then I realized why snow never phases me when I’m driving. I lived in Detroit for 2 years in college. So any time the DMV gets snow, Pssssh it’s nothing compared to living in the Motor City, lol. Snow fall there is serious, it would come up to mid-thigh–you couldn’t even walk a block without your legs feeling needles in them, and your nose hairs crystalizing as you breathed in–seriously not joking, lol . The interesting part is, it didn’t phase the Detroiters–and thats what I loved about living out there in the winter.

Anyway, workout was awesome and have lots of energy this morning! Want to see the workout I followed? Check it out below. I wasn’t able to fit in 20min cardio at the end of it, but definitely get in this evening with my little girl with “Just Dance 4” on the Xbox 360.

Last week on Monday, January 7 I decided I would start the bodybuilding.com challenge. It’s basically a 12 week competition to transform your body. There are no catches what so ever, so I had nothing to lose then my dignity on submitting my “Before Pictures”. Now, I know why fitness program before images of people look so sad. For one, its so uncomfortable knowing that your almost half naked to show….well how FAT you look. Needless to say, my pictures are well…Good Lawd ! you really need to lose the weight.

Clothes and confidence does a good deal of hiding the reality of where your body stands, but looking at my pictures made me realize wow it’s time to stop joking around and get to business. (No I’m not posting those pictures up, so don’t bother scrolling down) Though I am not trying to set myself up for failure, meaning I don’t plan on winning this challenge-but to compete and challenge with myself. I did this to follow a structure that will motivate me to stay focused and on schedule.

So I am happy to announce that I am on my 2nd week Day 3 of my challenge, and so far so good. As always life wants to interfere with flu symptoms last Friday, but I was able to conquer it and get back on schedule this past Monday. Also the challenge has opted me to try new things such as Bikram Yoga last week. (Hot Yoga in a room of 105 degrees and about 40-50% humidity) Now let me tell you Bikram Yoga is no joke, and for a first timer WOW was it hot in there, but I made it through the entire class and I loved it! Unfortunately, I haven’t been back since then because I got sick but hope to attend at least 2 sessions before the beginning of next week.

Since the 13.1 I gained 12 lbs so I’m at a 220 lb well that was when I started last week. (yea I know, hard to believe, well don’t let my last picture in my running gear fool you, thats the frontal pic, lol) What I liked about Bikram Yoga is that, even though you may feel insecure with your body…NO ONE IS LOOKING. Everyone comes in picks a spot on the floor and when the session begins it’s about focusing on yourself in the mirror. Then once it’s all over, you feel like you totally accomplished something really huge in your life. You feel like new again mentally, and ready for the next thing…it was awesome I tell you. You should try it sometime.

So I will end with my stats and every now and then I will update on a posting, to show you and myself my progress.